Categorization of the drilling waste as a criterion of selecting the methods of their detoxication, recovery and management.

Being aware of the problems affecting our environment, novel technological solutions have been dealt with to improve its quality. Mining is a sector generating substantial volume of waste and it also refers to drilling operations. On the basis of laboratory investigations and the analyses of legal regulations, three categories of drilling waste have been distinguished depending on the environmental impact of the waste and on the potential technologies of their treating and successful utilizing. The essentials of the solutions proposed have been presented and for each of the categories a processing flow chart has been prepared. At the ends of the processing lines, the flow charts specify the possibilities of utilization of the final products.